A study has found that drones are better than dogs at keeping dangerous bears away from people.

Experimental research by Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (Montana FWP) highlighted the erratic nature of dogs in shifting grizzly bears away from human habitats.

Wesley M Sarmento, bear manager for Montana FWP, was tasked with investigating methods for so-called hazing of bears from unwanted areas.

His research experimented with Airedale terriers, but he would find they wouldn't just chase bears - resulting in prickly experiences with critters such as porcupines.

He said: "It didn't take long for me to realise that the bear dogs weren't all they were hyped up to be."

"Much of the time the two dogs couldn't detect a bear that I could see across a field, or they chased whatever animal they discovered first. Oftentimes they went after feral cats and porcupines."

"I tried relentlessly to better train the dogs, but the effort had little effect."

Realising the dogs weren't a miracle solution, Wesley decided to try a more technological approach that had never been tested before – drones.

He said: "Equipped with a highly maneuverable, buzzing drone I was scattering bears with accuracy. I could precisely chase bears exactly where I wanted them – all from the safety and comfort of my truck."

"The unmanned aerial vehicle was exactly the magic tool that I had been needing. Even at night, I could find bears from afar with the thermal camera, and then fly in closer to move them away from towns, homes, and livestock."

"The drone was such an asset that I couldn't imagine doing the job without it."

Wesley had also tried using a truck and shotgun with non-lethal deterrents, like cracker shells and rubber rounds, but found it just agitated the grizzlies and even caused one male to charge at him. The truck would also struggle in muddy terrain.

Writing about his experimental research, he concludes: "Even though all the tools had some success at moving bears away from people, the drone performed notably better than dogs."

"With the drone I was no longer limited by fences, canals, and other obstacles that would've stopped me or limited my range with the other tools."

"All the hazing work seemed to pay off. Older bears required less hazing, and the number of hazing events declined over each calendar year – evidence that long term aversive conditioning was occurring. Bears appeared to learn to stay away from people."

"The aversive conditioning likely prevented some conflicts from occurring, which meant bears would be less likely to get into trouble. It was a win-win."